“Amazing. I’m used to black teas from India or Nepal so this one was a surprise. It’s tasty and complex. The sweet flavour is really complemented with some rock sugar (and even milk, why...”
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“The first thing I have to say about this tea is whattttt thhhheee haiiiillllllll this is so goooodddd!!!! This tea is unbelievable I can’t even begin to describe it. So many complex flavors...”
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From Whispering Pines Tea Company

ABOUTTHETEA
This Yunnan black tea was harvested in early spring (2014) and carries a robust and delicious flavor profile! The first thing you taste is a the thick honey flavor giving way to creamy cocoa with a touch of malt. A heavy molasses-like sweetness lingers on your tongue while juicy morel plays with a hint of gardenia in the aftertaste. This tea is delicious hot as well as iced and holds up very well to three or more infusions!

Whispering Pines Tea Company is dedicated to bringing you the most original, pure, beautiful tea blends. We use only the highest quality ingredients available to create additive-free teas teas inspired by the pristine wilderness of Northern Michigan. Our main focus is on customer satisfaction and quality.

64 Tasting Notes

backlog from yesterday – thanks again to dexter for letting me try this one. On the whole, this wasn’t a bad cup of tea, but i’m glad that this is one that i don’t feel the need to order from WP. There was a bitterness there that i didn’t love. still not a bad cup..just not one i need to keep around.

Amazing. I’m used to black teas from India or Nepal so this one was a surprise. It’s tasty and complex. The sweet flavour is really complemented with some rock sugar (and even milk, why not?). I think I’ll need to buy more of it because the pouch I got is so tiny… I was not overwhelmed by the Jabberwocky but this one is a win!

The first thing I have to say about this tea is whattttt thhhheee haiiiillllllll this is so goooodddd!!!! This tea is unbelievable I can’t even begin to describe it. So many complex flavors going on. The one that really stands out to me is how incredibly floral it is. On the Whispering Pines website there is a description of gardenia…. That could not be anymore accurate I seriously thought that I had accidentally poured my scented oil into my cup (oil burner sits very close to my tea cups) but I didn’t, trust me! But wait, it gets better. On the initial sip my mouth is happily greeted by a smooth mouth feel and intensely sweet honey and malty flavor. Incredible. So good that the flavor is giving me euphoria and setting off endorphins in my brain! Whispering Pines deserves a trophy for this one. Like every tea I have ever order from them is another amazingly delicious, flavorful, and high quality tea from Whispering Pines… Oh yeah, and did I mention how beautifully gold the tea is?

This is a strange (in a good way) brew for me. I saw these gorgeous curls on the website and knew I wanted them. I love Yunnan Blacks! I especially love the golden ones. I was lucky to have been given this, so I brewed with anticipation.

I opened the package to take in the scent of these snails. I was hit with a whiff of an anise sugar cookie, or an italian cookie for those that know what I’m talking about. It reminded me of the ones my nannie used to make when I was younger. I used my mini gaiwan for these little guys. I washed the leaves and then brewed in 15, 30 alternating second intervals (5,15,30,60,75…). The aroma of these critters was amazing! I was surrounded by sweet maple and malt syrup. I poured out my cups and drank it in. The initial sip was surprising. I expected a Yunnan malt and with a background of sugarcane sweetness. Instead, I was greeted with a crystallized honey mouthfeel and slight undertone of maplewood. This brew was incredibly light and fluffy. I expected the malt to come out in later brews, or I thought even the baked bread flavor would show. I never experienced these classic Yunnan flavors. I loved the atmosphere this tea created. This is why this brew was strange to me. I am in no way complaining haha. I actually added more leaves in my gaiwan in mid brew. I thought I might have underscored it the first time. I guess thats just how this brew is. The wet leaves gave me my dose of malt that I needed. The malt and bold flavors must of been trapped in the steam; because my tea room had a heavy mood. I love this tea, and I think it would be a perfect crowd pleaser. I’ll have to break this out at the next gathering :)

Flavors: Maple, Winter Honey

Preparation

I should preface my review by saying that I have a nostalgia and a soft spot for Golden Snails (Bi Luo). A hero of mine introduced me to the tea and sourced a particularly delicious batch. I drank it all summer during my first year of becoming a teacher.

That being said Whispering Pines’ offering here is delicious. The batch is aromatic and flavorful and stacks up well against other Yunnan Blacks of similar varieties and production. It’s hearty and well balanced without being too strong. I was quite comfortable with the price, knowing the freshness and quality that I could expect from WP and Brenden. I’ve paid $.50 more an ounce for comparable Yunnans that were not as fresh or whose taste was less dramatic.

With the caveat that I made a big mistake brewing my entire sample of this Western style — and too strong — I really like this tea. It tastes like baked bread, molasses and — something I haven’t seen anyone mention — roasted peanuts. I want to try it again in a gaiwan. It’s just really…interesting and unique and complex. I don’t love it as much as Whispering Pine’s super smooth new Yunnan Gold Tips, but it’s… Strong and makes a very solid impression. The nutty flavor really lingers. I’ll try it again. I think it would work really well with very spicy food.

The wet leaves smell like dark chocolate, but I don’t really taste that in the tea.

2nd infusion: Aha, now I taste chocolate and grain more strongly than peanuts.

This was a sample from Whispering Pines with my last order. I had lost this sample but finally found it last night. It had slipped in with my green tea bin! I’m glad I finally found it.

This tea is delicious. It’s chocolate & malt. Not too strong of a black tea which suits me just fine. It is also very sweet. Some others got bitterness with this tea which surprised me. I brewed according to WP’s directions and I got no bitterness. Maybe it sets in when it cools down. I had finished mine before it could cool. A lovely cup of tea.

Flavors: Chocolate, Malt, Sweet

Preparation

This tea reminds me of coffee – not so much in the flavor, but in the thickness. Sometimes tea can be thin tasting, pleasant, but tasting more of water than of much else. This tea has serious weight and body, and could definitely serve as a morning pick-me-up in the place of strong coffee.